25 best fantasy movies of all time
If movies routinely plunge the depths of human imagination, the fantasy genre goes one level deeper. Culling from the tradition of epic storytelling, the best examples introduce all the living entities in parallel worlds. Powerful wizards. Evil creatures. Futuristic spaceships. Distant planet landscapes. When the budget is big enough, all impossibilities are made possible. That's not to mention animation, which serves up its own unique tier of boundless potential.
Historically speaking, fantasy films don't always make for critical darlings. Nevertheless, there have emerged a slate of acclaimed works over the decades, some of which even dominated during award seasons. Meanwhile, certain figures pop up time and time again, such as Tim Burton, Guillermo del Toro, Peter Jackson, George Lucas, and Hayao Miyazaki. Each of these masters doesn't just conjure a unique world, but renders an identifiable style or aesthetic in the process. In essence, they've built worlds within worlds.
Any given list of fantasy films will include family fare, and this one is no exception. However, there also exists a special kind of fantasy film that typically aims for adults and incorporates a psychological element. The viewer is left to wonder whether or not the fantasy is real or merely a figment of some character's imagination. Prime examples include 1973's "The Spirit of the Beehive" and 2019's "The Lighthouse," to name a couple.
To give this beloved genre its due, Stacker presents the 25 best fantasy movies of all time. Data was compiled on all fantasy movies to come up with a Stacker score, which represents a weighted index split evenly between IMDb and Metacritic scores. To qualify, the film had to be listed as fantasy on IMDb, have a Metascore, and have at least 5,000 votes. Ties were broken by Metascore and further ties were broken by IMDb user rating. Every film on the list has been considered according to the cinematic history and development of fantasy. Here's the best of the best.
#25. Being John Malkovich (1999)
- Director: Spike Jonze
- Stacker score: 91
- Metascore: 90
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Runtime: 113 minutes
Director Spike Jonze and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman established their own brand of surrealist comedy with this feature debut. Set against a dreary urban backdrop, it sends depressed puppeteer Craig Schwartz, played by John Cusack, into the body of actor John Malkovich. When first presented with the concept, Malkovich suggested Tom Cruise instead.
#24. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
- Director: Hayao Miyazaki
- Stacker score: 92
- Metascore: 86
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Runtime: 86 minutes
Two young girls move into a new house and get a taste of magical realism, Miyazaki style. Their fantastical adventures in the nearby forest provide respite from the reality of their ailing mother. On a 2012 Sight & Sound critics’ poll of the greatest films of all time, this was the highest-ranking animated title.
#23. After Life (1998)
- Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
- Stacker score: 92
- Metascore: 91
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Runtime: 119 minutes
Director Hirokazu Koreeda puts a humanist twist on the afterlife in this quirky and sentimental drama. Upon dying, souls are sent to a way station and asked to preserve just one memory for eternity. Koreeda weaves real-life interviews and other documentary components into the otherwise fictional narrative.
#22. Star Wars: Episode V—The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
- Director: Irvin Kershner
- Stacker score: 92
- Metascore: 82
- IMDb user rating: 8.7
- Runtime: 124 minutes
A perennial fan favorite, this “Star Wars” chapter continues the ultimate space battle between the Rebel Alliance and Imperialist Empire. Bolstered by a tight script, the story unfolds through a series of epic action sequences. It all builds up to one of the most famous reveals in movie history.
#21. The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013)
- Director: Isao Takahata
- Stacker score: 92
- Metascore: 89
- IMDb user rating: 8
- Runtime: 137 minutes
Helmed by Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata, this animated fantasy adapts a 10th-century folktale. Raised in a bamboo stalk, Princess Kaguya must contend with the real world upon leaving the proverbial womb. The exquisite animation style calls upon the minimalism of Japanese watercolor paintings.
#20. Beauty and the Beast (1946)
- Directors: Jean Cocteau, René Clément
- Stacker score: 93
- Metascore: 92
- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- Runtime: 93 minutes
Long before the blockbuster adaptations, there was this French classic from multihyphenate Jean Cocteau and René Clément. Brimming with enchantment, it chronicles the romance between a young woman and her beastly captor. Walt Disney was so impressed that he stopped pursuing a similar project at the time.
#19. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
- Directors: William Cottrell, David Hand, Wilfred Jackson, Larry Morey, Perce Pearce, Ben Sharpsteen
- Stacker score: 93
- Metascore: 95
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Runtime: 83 minutes
A landmark achievement, Disney’s first full-length feature was also the first full-length animated film produced in North America. Four years and $1.7 million in the making, it became the most successful movie of its time. Fearing the wrath of a jealous queen, Snow White takes to the woods and meets seven lovable dwarfs.
#18. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
- Director: Ang Lee
- Stacker score: 94
- Metascore: 94
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Runtime: 120 minutes
Returning to his Chinese Mandarin roots, director Ang Lee crafted one of the highest-grossing foreign language films of all time. It follows two 19th-century warriors as they hunt for a missing sword, crossing paths with a young martial arts prodigy. Expertly-choreographed fight scenes blend with sweeping drama for Oscar-winning results.
#17. It’s Such a Beautiful Day (2012)
- Director: Don Hertzfeldt
- Stacker score: 95
- Metascore: 90
- IMDb user rating: 8.3
- Runtime: 62 minutes
Unifying three short films into a seamless whole, Don Hertzfeldt’s animated masterpiece introduces a stick figure named Bill. While suffering from a psychological breakdown, Bill takes a journey of philosophical proportions. A blend of surrealist visuals and techniques drives home the experimental narrative.
#16. Pinocchio (1940)
- Directors: Norman Ferguson, T. Hee, Wilfred Jackson, Jack Kinney, Hamilton Luske, Bill Roberts, Ben Sharpsteen
- Stacker score: 95
- Metascore: 99
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- Runtime: 88 minutes
Upon springing to life, a wooden puppet must demonstrate morals and courage if he’s going to become a real boy. By presenting a world of constant temptation and deceit, this Walt Disney production strikes an ever-prescient chord. The hand-drawn animation is nothing short of stunning, and reminiscent of an era that can never be repeated.
#15. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
- Director: Peter Jackson
- Stacker score: 95
- Metascore: 87
- IMDb user rating: 8.7
- Runtime: 179 minutes
Two hobbits journey on to Mordor in their quest to destroy an all-powerful ring. Hoping to trick them is a shifty-eyed creature named Gollum, voiced by Andy Serkis, who’s rendered in groundbreaking CGI. The story climaxes with one of the most epic battle sequences in film history.
#14. Fantasia (1940)
- Directors: James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, Ford Beebe Jr., Norman Ferguson, David Hand, Jim Handley, T. Hee, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield, Ben Sharpsteen
- Stacker score: 95
- Metascore: 96
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Runtime: 125 minutes
A passion project for Walt Disney, this iconic production let classical music be its guide. The experimental film breaks down into segments while demonstrating an array of different styles and themes. It was a critical and commercial disappointment upon its release, only to be rediscovered and reappraised by future generations.
#13. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
- Director: Frank Capra
- Stacker score: 96
- Metascore: 89
- IMDb user rating: 8.6
- Runtime: 130 minutes
Hard as it may be to fathom, this enduring holiday classic originally tanked at the box office and even helped bankrupt its studio. Subsequent TV airings throughout the 1970s and beyond would turn it into a Christmas staple. In the film, a world-weary businessman, played by James Stewart, is shown what life would look like if he’d never existed.
#12. Toy Story 3 (2010)
- Director: Lee Unkrich
- Stacker score: 96
- Metascore: 92
- IMDb user rating: 8.3
- Runtime: 103 minutes
It’s time for Andy to grow up and that means leaving his toys behind in the third “Toy Story” movie. Woody and the gang end up at a hostile daycare center, where an evil bear runs the show at night. The film won two Academy Awards, including best animated feature.
#11. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
- Directors: Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones
- Stacker score: 96
- Metascore: 93
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Runtime: 91 minutes
An enduring benchmark of comedy and pop culture alike, this Monty Python outing retells the story of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Deliriously subversive, it takes constant detours in pursuit of the next absurdist bit. In addition to Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones, the film credits 40 specially trained Ecuadorian mountain llamas, six Venezuelan red llamas, 142 Mexican whooping llamas, 14 North Chilean guanacos that are closely related to the llama, Reg Llama of Brixton, and 76,000 battery llamas from “Llama-Fresh” Farms Ltd. near Paraguay as directors.
#10. Inside Out (2015)
- Directors: Pete Docter, Ronnie Del Carmen
- Stacker score: 96
- Metascore: 94
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Runtime: 95 minutes
Boldly going where only a TV show called “Herman’s Head” dared to go before, this Pixar film takes viewers into the mind of young Riley. As she deals with various upheavals, Riley’s personified emotions undergo an adventure of their own. Comedians and actors such as Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling, Diane Lane, and Kyle MacLachlan all lend their voices.
#9. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
- Directors: Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise
- Stacker score: 96
- Metascore: 95
- IMDb user rating: 8
- Runtime: 84 minutes
Captive to a beast, the beautiful Belle must see past his unruly demeanor to find the cursed prince hiding within him. This tale as old as time relied primarily on hand-drawn animation, using newly developed CGI technology for the ballroom sequence. It was the first full-length animated film to earn an Oscar nomination for best picture in the history of cinema.
#8. Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope (1977)
- Director: George Lucas
- Stacker score: 96
- Metascore: 90
- IMDb user rating: 8.6
- Runtime: 121 minutes
Cinema’s foremost space opera kicked off with this hotly anticipated chapter, which paired philosophical underpinnings with groundbreaking special effects. Tasked with saving Princess Leia, played by Carrie Fisher, the Rebel Alliance and Luke Skywalker, played by Mark Hamill, take on the evil Empire. This is world building on such an epic scale that Disney continues to explore new characters and storylines more than 40 years later.
#7. Ratatouille (2007)
- Directors: Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava
- Stacker score: 96
- Metascore: 96
- IMDb user rating: 8
- Runtime: 111 minutes
An epicurean rat named Remy, voiced by Patton Oswalt, pursues his unlikely goal of becoming a world-class chef. Industry legend Brad Bird inherited the project and reworked it into one of the best-reviewed Pixar films ever made. At its core is the message that one’s dreams are never completely beyond reach.
#6. Toy Story (1995)
- Director: John Lasseter
- Stacker score: 97
- Metascore: 95
- IMDb user rating: 8.3
- Runtime: 81 minutes
A veritable milestone, Pixar’s inaugural feature ushered in a new era of computer-animated entertainment. It introduces a pocket-sized cowboy named Woody, voiced by Tom Hanks, who gets jealous when his owner brings home a new toy, voiced by Tim Allen. Three blockbuster sequels would follow.
#5. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
- Director: Peter Jackson
- Stacker score: 98
- Metascore: 92
- IMDb user rating: 8.8
- Runtime: 178 minutes
It took decades of failed attempts to give J.R.R. Tolkien’s trilogy the live-action adaptation it deserved. In this first installment, hobbits Frodo, played by Elijah Wood, and Sam, played by Sean Astin, dodge evil creatures on their way to destroy a mystical ring. Various New Zealand locations provided the perfect backdrops for Middle Earth.
#4. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
- Director: Guillermo del Toro
- Stacker score: 98
- Metascore: 98
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Runtime: 118 minutes
Winner of three Academy Awards, this historical drama takes place in Spain during the early Francoist era. Grappling with a range of conflicts, a bookish young girl, played by Ivana Baquero, flees into a fully realized fantasy world. Drawing upon Guillermo del Toro’s greatest strengths, it pairs iconic special effects with rich characterizations to generate palpable gravitas.
#3. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
- Directors: Victor Fleming, George Cukor, Mervyn LeRoy, Norman Taurog, Richard Thorpe, King Vidor
- Stacker score: 98
- Metascore: 100
- IMDb user rating: 8
- Runtime: 102 minutes
Few fantasy films have stayed the course like “The Wizard of Oz,” which continues to draw in new audiences after eight decades. Upon waking up in a magical land, young Dorothy, played by Judy Garland, sets out to find her way home. It won two Academy Awards for the music, but lost best picture to a little movie called “Gone with the Wind.”
#2. Spirited Away (2001)
- Director: Hayao Miyazaki
- Stacker score: 99
- Metascore: 96
- IMDb user rating: 8.6
- Runtime: 125 minutes
Hayao Miyazaki’s most quintessential effort remains the highest-grossing movie in Japan to this day. A truly singular vision, it follows a young girl into a dangerous parallel world. Part of the film’s magic is its ability to pour out of the screen, infusing the viewer’s reality with a renewed sense of enchantment.
#1. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
- Director: Peter Jackson
- Stacker score: 100
- Metascore: 94
- IMDb user rating: 8.9
- Runtime: 201 minutes
Peter Jackson’s original trilogy concluded in fittingly epic fashion, presenting the final showdown between good and evil. It made over $1.1 billion at the global box office and won 11 Academy Awards, matching an all-time record. If nearly three-and-a-half hours of adventure doesn’t suffice, there’s an extended version with more than 50 minutes of additional footage.
